有一次，一位容貌、形色絕妙的天界眾生，到祇樹給孤獨園問佛陀說：

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有一次，佛陀到憍薩羅國的首都舍衛城遊化,住在城南郊外的祇樹給孤獨園?

這一天近午時分，憍薩羅國波斯匿王來見佛陀，佛陀招呼他說：

「大王！都中午了，您從哪裡忙完過來的？」

「世尊！今天舍衛城有一位名叫摩訶男的大財主去世了，他的財產沒有兒子可以繼承，我就是去接收他的財產，剛忙完過來的。

世尊！您知道他有多少財產嗎？光黃金就有八百萬，白銀更不計其數了。可是，世尊！您知道嗎？這麼富有的大財主，吃的竟是發酸的雜米粥，穿的只是三片粗麻布縫成的衣服，乘坐的是一輛老舊破車，車子的遮陽傘蓋，還是樹枝、樹葉搭成的。不曾聽說他會布施給沙門、婆羅門，也不見他幫助過貧窮、急難的人，每次吃東西時，一定關起門來，不讓那些人看到。」

「大王！這樣的人，不是堂堂正正的人，不論他多富有，充其量也只是個卑賤的窮人罷了。有財富而自己不用，也不供給家人使用，不用來體恤僕役、結交朋友，也不用來供養沙門、婆羅門，以廣植讓自己生天的福田，不做這樣正當的花用，財富也無法一直留在身邊，不是遭國王沒收，就是落入盜賊之手，或者毀於火災、洪水，再不，就是由自己不喜歡的繼承者接收。

大王！財富不作正當的分配花用，就等於是沒有用的東西一樣。就像在一個無人能到之處，有一池甘美甜淨的水，但沒有人能夠享用，最後，漸漸乾涸消盡，又有何用？

所以，大王！應當善用自己的財富，讓自己、家人、僕役、好友，能夠受用而喜樂，並且布施供養沙門、婆羅門，廣植自己生天的福田，這樣，才能使財富成為有用的東西，而不致於到最後變得一場空，浪費了有用的財富。」

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有一次，一位名叫郁伽的大臣來見佛陀，告訴佛陀說：

「真稀有啊，大德！此地的財主彌伽羅，真是富有啊！」

「郁伽！彌伽羅長者怎麼個富有法？」

「大德！他擁有上億的黃金，白銀就更不計其數了。」

「郁伽！這些黃金、白銀，算得上完全是他實在的財富嗎？我不是說這些不是財富，但是，郁伽！你所說的這些財富，是火、水、王、賊、怨敵、繼承者所共有的啊。郁伽！只有信財、戒財、慚財、愧財、聞財、捨財、慧財等七種財富，不會與火、水、王、賊、怨敵、繼承者所共有。」

On one occasion, a gorgeous sentient being from the Heavenly Realm came to Sravasti in Jeta’s Grove, located in Anathapindada’s Park to ask the Buddha:

“What thing, which can not be burnt by fire? Blow away by wind?
Even if the earth is completely destroyed, it will not dissipate?
Cannot be robbed by bandits and gang boss?
Which treasure can not forever be lost?”

The Buddha replied:

“Merits cannot be burnt by fire, nor blow away by wind.
Cannot be robbed by bandits and gang boss.
Even if the earth is completely destroyed that it will not dissipate.
Treasure of merits and bliss reward will never lose.”

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On one occasion, the Buddha was in Sravasti, capital of Kosala for travel and teaching; he was dwelling at Sravasti in Jeta’s Grove, located in Anathapindada’s Park.

On day around noon, King Prasenajit of Kosala came to see the Buddha; the Buddha greeted him by saying:

“Great king, it is almost noon, where did you finish your work and come over?”

“The World Respected One! A rich man called Mahanan passed away, since he has no son to inherit his wealth, I hence went to expropriate his properties and come over upon finishing the job.

The World Respected One! Did you know how much wealth he owned? The gold alone was worth eight millions, the worth of silver was immeasurable. However, The World Respected One! Such a rich wealthy person, he only ate conges made from spoiled grain, his clothes were made of three pieces of rough gunny, and his vehicle was a wrack, using twigs and leaves as thatches of the vehicle. I have never heard of his making donation to ascetics, Brahman, nor heard of his assisting the poor and those in need, each time he ate, he always closed the door to avoid being seen.”

“Great king, such person is not dignity in appearance, regardless his wealth, he is nothing more than a despicable poor man. He does not spend the wealth, nor provide for others, never show consideration to the servants, to make friend, nor use it for support ascetics, Brahman to cultivate his own field of merit in preparation for being born in the Heavenly Realm in the future, failed to properly appropriation, the wealth was unable to keep by himself, it was either confiscated by the king, stolen by thieves or robbers, or destroyed by fire or flood, furthermore, expropriate by those his unfavorable heir.

Great king! Improper appropriation of the wealth is like something useless; just like a pool of sweet and pure water situated in a location nobody can reach, finally gradually dried out, what useful is it?

Therefore great king! One should properly appropriate one’s wealth, allow oneself, family member, servants and friends to benefit from and become happy, and also donate to ascetic, Brahmans and widely cultivate the fields of merit in preparation for being born in the Heavenly Realm. As such, enable the wealth become something useful instead of become futile in the end and wasted the useful wealth.”

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On one occasion, a senior official called Yuga came to see the Buddha and told the Buddha:

“It is indeed rare, Bhikkhu! The rich man Mikalo is indeed rich!”

“Yoga, how rich is Elder Yoga?”

“Bhikkhu, he has almost one hundred millions worth of gold, worth of his silver was immeasurable.”

Yoga! Could these gold and silver be counted as his complete wealth? I am not saying that these are not wealth, however, Yoga, fire, flood, king, resentful enemy and hire all share these wealth. Yoga, only seven kinds of wealth, namely faith, precept, conscious, shameful, hearing, giving and wisdom would not be shared with fire, flood, king resentful enemy and hire.”

一、本則故事前段取材自《雜阿含第一二九一經》,中段取材自《雜阿含第一二三二經》、《相應部第三相應第一九經》，後段取材自《增支部七集第七經》?

三、《大智度論》說，財富、富貴是「五家所共」(大正藏第二五冊第一四二頁中)，「五家所共」的說法，應該就是源自於《阿含經》的教說吧！

1. The first segment of this story was derived from Samyuktagama 1291st Sutra; the second segment was derived from Samyuktagama 1232nd Sutra, Samyutta-nikaya 8th Samyutta 19th Sutra; and the last segment was derived from Volume VII, Anguttara 7 th Sutra.

2. It appears that the character of rich man Mahanan exists universally around the world. Although they own millions but their livelihood is no different from the poor people, they are indeed the poor rich man. Samyuktagama 91st Sutra named this type of person as “ignorance man”, “like a starving dog”.

3. Text in “Treatise on the Great Perfection Wisdom” indicated that wealth and rank are “commonly shared by five parties” (Taisho Tripitaka Vol. 25 p. 142b), the saying of “commonly shared by five parties” should be sourced from the Agama Sutra!

4. One should often remind oneself that wealth is “shared by five parties” (“Resentful enemy” and “bandits” perhaps could be grouped as one, the English edition was translated as “the disliked hire.”) may be this reminder could reduce the attachment to wealth. It can also be helpful in impact reduction in the event of wealth decline when disaster strikes.

5. The term “Moonlight Clan” meaning “spent all money each month” appeared in Taiwan recently. Such clan most likely is the youthful generation of “new human”, the reason of their doing so perhaps was derived from the uncertainty notion of “the money yon really own was the money you spent.” However, if one “spent all the money” but never used it to widely cultivate fields of merit, can become the true poor people resulting from one’s strengthen desire, then suppressed by the desire being strengthen by one.

6. Practice meritorious behavior of cause is more reliable than keeping wealth, the Buddha said “the treasure of merit and bliss reward will never be lost” meaning the merit could not be dissipated by such external factors as wind, fire, king and bandit. However, the merits would eventually be exhausted regardless size of the accumulated merit, in Samyuktagama 264th Sutra, the Buddha used himself as an example, stating that because of long-term practicing meritorious behavior in the past life, he accumulated numerous “exquisite and lovely” fruitions, but they “all disappeared” in the numerous cycles of life and death, he therefore taught the bhikkhus should be mindful of “forever extinguish unwholesome action, loath, annihilate desire and achieve liberation.” Therefore, the bottom line is “faith, precept, conscious, shameful, hearing, giving and wisdom” are the true wealth for alleviating the pressure of suffering in life.